Digestibility, intake and selectivity of three mixed-forage pastures by cattle

A grazing trial was conducted to determine the relative value of three mixed-forage pastures, alfalfa-orchardgrass, bluegrass-white clover, and fescue-red clover. Three steers, three heifers and one esophageally cannulated steer were randomly assigned to each pasture treatment. Chemical composition, digestibility, voluntary intake, and selectivity of the forages were determined through use of esophageally cannulated steers and a rare earth marker (ytterbium). Forage intake appears to be most closely related to DM digestibility and content of the NDF and ADF fiber fractions. Some degree of forage selectivity was observed, although the specific species selected for and determinants of selectivity were not apparent. From the data obtained on levels of intake, digestibility and chemical composition, alfalfa-orchardgrass and bluegrass-white clover offer the highest quality forage of the three compared during the time of year studied. Fescue-red clover was consistently inferior in all respects. The digestible dry matter intake by cattle grazing alfalfa-orchardgrass, bluegrass-white clover and fescue-red clover was 3.2, 2.9 and 2.2 kg/d, respectively. More work needs to be done on a wider variety of pastures during different times of the grazing season.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Animal Science (Reproductive Physiology)

Department dc:contributor.department

Animal Science (Ruminant Nutrition)

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1982

Author dc:creator

• Thompson, Keith Patrick

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/82656

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/82656